TelOne hosts fintech solutions hackathon

TELONE Centre for Learning (TCFL), a subdivision of rising fixed telecommunications firm, TelOne, will this week host a OneMoney mobile financial services hackathon, with the aim of promoting product innovations.

The hackathon will be held in collaboration with South Africa's FinMark Trust. It will run from Friday to Sunday at TCFL in Harare.

A hackathon, also known as a hack day, is a design sprint-like event in which computer programmers and others involved in software development, including graphic designers, interface designers, project managers and others, often including subject - matter-experts, collaborate intensively on software projects.

The aim of a hackathon is to create usable software.

OneMoney is NetOne's mobile money financial service. TelOne communications and client experience head Mrs Melody Harry, yesterday said the hackathon programme was free and participants can register on the FinMark Trust website.

Mrs Harry said the participants will receive mentoring, skills training and the chance to develop solutions that could change the mobile financial services landscape in Zimbabwe.

"The programme will also enable participants to further their data skills. "Other than hosting the hackathon, TCFL also offers diplomas in digital marketing, software engineering, data science and computer networking," said Mrs Harry.

She said those living outside of the 100km radius of Harare will be accommodated during the course of the programme. A competition will also be held and winners will receive up to $5 000 in prizes. FinMark Trust says the hackathon is for young innovators who are interested in financial inclusion.

"This hackathon is aimed at soliciting new ideas to facilitate product diversification and unlock opportunities for improved access to finance for the poor. It is to promote product innovations for Mobile Financial services, especially for the poor and rural populations," said FinMark Trust on its website.

FinMark Trust has also announced plans to set up a local office in Zimbabwe and expect to have it established in August.

The South African-based FinMark Trust is an independent organisation established to promote financial inclusion and regional financial integration. In Zimbabwe, it is mostly known for the FinScope Survey it conducted in 2012, which is still being used by Government and financial regulators to develop their financial inclusion strategy. - the herald